Division Two: Burnley v Scunthorpe - Pete Oliver's preview

SCUNTHORPE United are learning the hard way about the facts of life in Division Two.

Last season's Third Division play-off champions have won just two of their first 10 games and sit one place above the bottom four ahead of tomorrow's televised game against Burnley at Turf Moor.

And it's in front of goal - at both ends - where the Iron have really noticed the gulf in class between last season and this.

Skipper and central defender Chris Hope explained: "It's different from last year when we were getting 10 or 15 chances in a game.

"You're maybe getting four or five in a game now and you've got to make those count in this league.

"No disrespect to teams in the Third, but teams in the Second Division are a better standard with better players and they can punish you more.

"When teams in this league get a chance, they put them away."

However, the Iron, managed by former Burnley defender Brian Laws, have shown signs of getting to grips with the challenges they face in trying to consolidate at this level.

The club had spent just one season out of the basement division since 1973 before beating Leyton Orient at Wembley in May. And three defeats without scoring a goal in their opening three games didn't bode well.

However, since then, Scunthorpe have won twice, drawn twice and lost three times and stemmed the flow of goals, keeping two clean sheets in their last four games.

"I don't think it was anything to do with formations or anything like that, I think it was just getting out of the mould of playing in the Third Division.

"We have learned that if we do go a goal down we have to be patient and not be too cavalier," Hope added.

Scoring goals hasn't come easy following the departure of Jamie Forrester and John Eyre, however, with Laws' men so far finding the net only six times and only once scoring more than one in a game.

Leading scorers are Richie Humphreys, now back at Sheffield Wednesday after a loan spell, and former Bristol Rovers striker Guy Ipoua with two apiece.

Former Barnet and Nottingham Forest striker Gary Bull is still on the Glanford Park books, but hasn't figured prominently.

And Laws, who started his League career at Turf Moor in the final game of the 1979/80 season before moving on to Huddersfield, Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest and Grimsby Town, could turn to former Clarets loan striker Steve Guinan.

The Nottingham Forest forward played six times for Burnley without opening his account in the 1996/97 campaign.

But having scored regularly during a loan spell at Plymouth last season - including a hat-trick against Scunthorpe - he will return a more rounded player eager to score his first goal at Turf Moor.

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